In Rugby Maryland, the MIAA crowned a champion, while the top two in the Maryland HS club competition have been decided.

MIAA Championship

The top two seeds, Loyola Blakefield Jesuit and Archbishop Spalding came through their semifinals to collide for the third time in the last four years in the MIAA Varsity championship match. Loyola dispatched Mount St Joseph 34-10 while Spalding overcame a solid Calvert Hall squad 24-13.

Loyola posted a convincing 43-24 win over Spalding during the regular season. However, from the start of this match it appeared Archbishop Spalding was not going to allow that script to play out again. The weather would also play a role, with wet and sometimes rainy conditions throughout the game disrupting handling and possession. 

From the start, it was Loyola who maintained pressure into the Cavaliers half of the field for most of the first frame, eventually netting an unconverted try.  But Spalding’s stout defense and gritty counter-rucking denied the Dons the opportunity to score more. Loyola took a slim 5-0 lead into the second half, with Spalding clearly buoyed by the strong defensive performance. Not long into the second frame, Loyola’s Justing Delcher scored from a lineout-and-maul. Marc DeCesare converted, pushing the Dons ahead 12-0. Spalding surged back behind strong rucking and recycling, and ground in a try and conversion to bring the score to 12-7 with 15 minutes left. As the clock keep rolling and only a minute or two left, Loyola capitalized on a Spalding penalty, converting the kick and making it a two-score game, 15-7. However, the Cavaliers were not done, they scored from the ensuing kickoff and converted, leaving the score 15-14 as time ran out. 

HS Club Semis

West Carroll (MS48) and the Maryland Exiles (MS50) will meet at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) on Sunday for the Maryland HS club championship.  

The final looks to be an exciting affair - West Carroll nudged the Exiles 27-24 in their league match a few weeks ago with the lead changing hands multiple times in the final minutes. 

To get there, top-seeded West Carroll posted a convincing win over Baltimore-Poly in the first semi-final, 49-14.  The Marauders broke out to a 28-7 lead at the half and never looked back.  Both teams had to deal with wet, slippery conditions that led to some missed scoring opportunities and poor handling.  West Carroll's Austin Wintsch kept pressure on the Poly side the entire game, nailing penalty kicks and converting tries to keep the scoreboard moving. Outside center CJ Goimes added a pair of tries for the Marauders and Campbell Johnstone was a critical link man for West Carroll and turned a quick tap penalty into a try.  

North Bay and the Exiles squared off in a rematch of the 2015 final for the second semifinal. The game had been rescheduled for Mother's day due to the weather. The Exiles ran out to an early 10-point lead on a penalty and then a try from prop Adam Tounkara. Minutes later Tounkara added a second try, bulling his way in from 8 meters out. However, North Bay quickly bounced back when an errant Exile pass was intercepted and returned the distance to close the game to 15-7. The Exiles added a third try just before the half, gaining a sizable 20-7 lead at the break. The Exiles were getting good ball movement between the backs and forwards, as well as a attacking with a solid offloading game. They would push out to a comfortable 30-7 lead before North Bay snagged a second try, closing the score to 30-14. The Exiles managed one last try in the final minute of the game, finishing ahead 35-14.